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1
Put the flour in the bowl of a food processor.
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2
Beat the eggs in a bowl with a fork.
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3
With the food processor running, add the beaten eggs in a steady stream.
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4
Process until the dough comes together and is smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.
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5
If the dough seems sticky, add a little more flour.
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6
Put the ball of dough in a bowl and cover with plastic.
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7
Let rest for 20 minutes.
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8
Divide the dough into 6 pieces.
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9
Cover 5 of the pieces with plastic.
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10
Flatten the remaining piece of dough slightly with your hand, dust it with flour, and crank it through a manual pasta machine with the rollers set at their maximum distance apart, the #1 setting.
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11
Fold the dough in thirds as though you were folding a business letter and run it through the machine again, feeding the narrow side into the rollers.
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12
Repeat the process of folding and rolling 4 or 5 more times.
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13
This process kneads the dough and prepares it for the next step of thinning it.
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14
Dont hesitate to sprinkle the dough with flour as necessary as you continue running it through the machine; you dont want it to stick to the rollers.
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15
Gradually roll the dough to the desired thinness, narrowing the distance between the rollers with each pass of the dough.
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16
If the dough tears, just patch it together and roll it through the same setting again, a little more slowly this time.
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17
If the dough sticks to the rollers, sprinkle it with flour.
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18
(You will soon get the feel for the right speed and the proper level of moisture to keep the dough rolling efficiently.)
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19
After youve rolled the dough through the #6 setting, it should be thin enough to cut into any string pasta.
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20
For ravioli, the dough should be rolled slightly thinner.
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21
If you have an older machine there may be only one more setting; otherwise, the machine may go up to # For ravioli, roll the dough through #7 if thats your highest setting, or through # (I never use #9-the dough becomes too delicate to handle easily.)
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22
Let the dough dry for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting it into noodles.
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23
Ravioli should be prepared while the dough is still moist.
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24
Transfer the cut noodles to a board or a sheet pan covered with a towel lightly dusted with flour.
